Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Free Market Warrior is getting more attention for going out of business than it got for going in.

Loren Spivack says officials at Concord Mills mall have terminated the lease on his kiosk effective at the end of next week. Called the Free Market Warrior, it sells conservative merchandise including "Impeach Obama" bumper-stickers. Mall officials have declined to talk about their decision.

But conservative blogs and some national news outlets haven't shied away.

Fox Business is hoping to put Spivack on the air today. The Drudge Report has linked to the story.

Spivack blames politics and notes mall owner Mel Simon is a big Democratic contributor. In an effort to show the mall tolerates other merchandise a lot of people might find offensive, he's posted photos online.

14 comments:

Anonymous
said...

If they "terminated" his lease, then he needs to strongly consider filing suit for his damages. I can't imagine that they had cause, or complied with their notice requirements, or anything else for that matter to have done this this quickly.

If, as reported earlier, they are merely allowing an option to expire, then he may (again) want to make sure that they have strictly complied with the notice requirements, but otherwise I would say they are mostly within their rights to do it.

While I may not agree with everything on his cart (specifically the Bin Laden's 2 holidays...that's over the top), this is the free enterprise system. If the public doesn't want his materials, he'll go out of business in a Darwinistic business sense.

I personally find the T-Shirts being peddled 48 hours after Michael Jackson died to be more offensive. The man was an accused child molester. Granted he was never found guilty, but no matter what, nobody can say that his antics with kids weren't creepy. Those people on the carts selling his shirts, and even those for President Obama aren't honoring those individuals. They are simply trying to cash in on the moment, which is their American right!

This guy should be allowed to stay in business. Let's see how much success he can have. I've passed his cart many times and honestly have never seen anyone even stopped looking at items on it. I'm guessing this publicity has probably helped him increase sales...

Now, on the conspiracy theory front, there's a thought...business is down...create the controversy in an effort to jumpstart business...hmmm

All of the other merchandise photographed may be offensive to some people, but they have nothing to do with politics. Conservative or not, some of the his merchandise is a little ridiculous and it doesn't really fit in a mall. I don't remember seeing anti-Bush kiosks, but maybe I wasn't paying any attention.

Why doesn't he just shut up, make a website or sell his crap on a street corner...

For the Anonymous person who asks "WHO CARES!!" You should you dumb ass! We all should. Next time it could be you being shut down or taken away for exercising your freedom of speech. If we all look away as others are being taken away, then who will be left to defend you when it's your turn to go??

This was a business decision. Capitalism rides on the freedom to make such decisions. It may or may not impact the malls traffic but it is not something where the government needs to or has stepped in to address how a property owner conducts his business. Folks on both sides are using this to sensationalize, polarize and continue to divide our country. Free speech is impinged on in none of this, it is again, a business decision!

The Observer's coverage of this is truly sad. Contrary to some opinions, this is not a freedom of speech issue; our Constitution pertains to the relationship between the people and her government. As a private enterprise, the mall has the right regulate both the items sold on its premises as well as the people who visit the mall. It's the reason malls can ban teens unaccompanied by minors, as restrict the possession of concealed weapons on their property.

The rights that protect the mall from the Free Market Warrior also protect the Free Market Warrior from having to carry pro-Obama merchandise.

I for one am grateful that perhaps one place can be sanctuary from vitriol and division that currently defines the national political debate.

The Observer should be ridiculed for offering mulitple stories on this while I cannot find any coverage of the triple shooting in Dallas, NC. Apparently covering the news is not as fun as generating the news.